One of just a handful of clubs in the area, 12 Acklam Road is a hip, trendy club pulling in the big name DJs on a regular basis as well as giving some lesser known performers a chance. Nestled discreetly under the arches at Ladbrook Grove, it has built a loyal following for the last 10-15 years, throughout its various guises.

The Venue
12 Acklam Road is a decent-sized club strewn across two levels. On the ground floor you’ll find the main dancefloor with funky light projections. The DJ resides in a box and there’s a small stage for the more extrovert dancers to bust a move and for the live bands. You’ll also find the main bar on this level with plenty of large, plush, red booths.

Upstairs is the mezzanine level, which overlooks the dancefloor on three sides – perfect for people watching. There’s another small bar up here and the decor is cosier than the hot red downstairs, with cream leather sofas and coordinated brown cushioned stools, contemporary high tables and metal chairs, and some intimate square booths thrown in for good measure.

The only smoking area is on the street towards the front of the club so you have to pass through everyone’s smoke to leave and enter, which isn’t particularly pleasant - a designated smoking area would be a great addition to this club’s modern new look.

The Atmosphere
This club has a great party atmosphere thanks to the cool people and friendly, helpful staff with many glass collectors keeping the place neat and tidy. The smiling bar staff keep the drinks flowing and make sure you enjoy yourself – you won’t be kept waiting for too long at the bar, which helps to keep you in the party mood.

It is important to note that 12 Acklam Road is only a club at the weekends - the space is used during the week for private hire.

The Music
The sound system at 12 Acklam Road is loud, clear and really pumps out the bass. They pull in some amazing DJs from around the world - on a par with the bigger superclubs. Dennis Ferrer played recently with Stuart Paterson, and Kerri Chandler, Derrick Carter and David Rodigan have also been known to DJ here. Live bands have included The Departure, Death to all Culture Snitches, and up-and-coming talents are often given the space to shine. The genre of music varies from week to week depending on the promoter, but you can enjoy anything from soulful house to electro, techno, drum and bass, RnB, hip hop and reggae.

The Drink
The drinks at 12 Acklam Road are averagely priced for a club in London. The cocktails are well mixed, and the caipirinha is exceptionally good with lots of lime. Cocktails are a reasonable £6-£8 with premium spirits and mixers around the £4 mark, with bottled beers and Alcopops costing less than £4. The drink and cocktail menu is clearly projected onto the wall behind the bar, which is novel and saves you squinting at a paper menu in the half dark.

The Last Word
If you haven’t been here since the name change, fear not - it’s still the same vibe as before with great music, cool people, delicious cocktails and top DJs.

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